Nigeria

Unsafe gold mining in northwestern Nigeria is causing a crisis of severe lead poisoning near the mines that’s killed hundreds of children and is making thousands more sick. The gold deposits are in Zamfara, a remote part of the Nigeria, near the border with Niger. As of September 2012, one humanitarian agency was treating 2,400 children for extreme lead poisoning. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap to help stop transmission. In response to this crisis, the Zamfara and Kano State Agencies of Nigeria have requested 4,920 bars to help improve treatment outcomes and prevent the spread of disease.